It was so hot. A burning, all-consuming heat. Teresa Atwood gulped water, but it did little to quench her thirst. She felt as if she couldn\u2019t cool down.<\/p>\n
Her blood was racing, and her heart wouldn\u2019t calm down. The young woman kept drinking.<\/p>\n
And then she threw up. The water she\u2019d gulped down so fast came up as her stomach, unprepared, decided it didn\u2019t need the hydration. Teresa gasped and spat, and leaned over the side of her horse to do so. But she didn\u2019t stop moving.<\/p>\n
\u201cLady Teres! Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n
An alarmed voice called out. Teresa turned her head and vaguely saw someone riding towards her. A man with only one half. Death Commander Ytol of the Rust\u00e4ngmarder came towards Teres, balancing despite his lack of limbs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u2014fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teresa realized she was slowing. [Riders] rode past her as Ytol inspected Teres.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo much water, too quickly. Are you fit to ride?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teres wanted to splash some water on her face, despite the waste. She needed to\u2014just a bit. She cupped a palmful of water into one hand and splashed it onto her face. She was licking at her lips when she tasted the blood.<\/p>\n
Ytol looked gravely at Teres as she recoiled. Then\u2014she saw the water running down her face. It was red and dark. With blood and grime. Teres brushed at her face.<\/p>\n
The young woman stared at her hand. It was red. A bit of flesh had come away. Not hers. Her stomach\u2014moved. But only because she\u2019d drunk more water. The sight of someone else\u2019s blood was just numbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cLady Atwood. We must keep moving. If you are unwell, please fall back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Death Commander spoke, not unkindly. Just briskly. Teres looked at him. The leader of the company of the Rust\u00e4ngmarder paid no attention to the blood. And she\u2014just stared at it.<\/p>\n
She knew it was wrong. But Teres didn\u2019t cry or weep or wonder whose blood it was. She had the first time she\u2019d killed someone with a sword. After the battle at Reim\u2014Trey used magic, but Teres had been taught the sword. She\u2019d felt the times she killed someone. And they had haunted her.<\/p>\n
They still did. But she didn\u2019t dream any longer. She just rose, rode her horse, and fought. And this last battle had been the sixth major engagement she had ever taken part in.<\/p>\n
The Realm of Jecrass. Teresa Atwood turned her head and saw parts of it burning. Across Belchan\u2019s border, the King of Destruction\u2019s armies had set the grasslands ablaze. But the River Wardens were fighting the fires. While Flos Reimarch\u2019s forces had marched on Jecrass, they had been halted at the border.<\/p>\n
Rather\u2014both sides had withdrawn after tearing each other to pieces. Jecrass had gotten the worst of it, but they had more soldiers to throw into the conflict.<\/p>\n
And they had refused to give ground. Even in the face of Mars and Flos Reimarch\u2014they\u2019d held to the point of slaughter.<\/p>\n
For one man. King Raelt Leysars, the [King of Challenges]. Also known as the \u2018King of Duels\u2019, as he\u2019d been dubbed. Now, Jecrass fought for their [King] against Reim. And the incredible part was\u2014they were holding the King of Destruction at bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with Teres?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another voice. Teres saw someone galloping back towards her. Mars, the King\u2019s Champion, the famous [Vanguard], didn\u2019t look tired. But she\u2019d fought without rest during the battle. She must have killed hundreds. Perhaps over a thousand soldiers by herself. Her armor was red.<\/p>\n
And despite it all, they were retreating. Pulling back. Teres wobbled as Ytol turned towards her.<\/p>\n
\u201cLady Teres is feeling the fatigue of battle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got it. Teres, come on. Ride on my horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can ride.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teres protested. She clutched the mare\u2019s reins. She liked her horse. She\u2019d named her Frecklehooves, because of the white-yellow hair around her legs. Flos had been offended at the name.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen ride with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, Mars wasn\u2019t unkind. Just\u2014insistent. Teres nodded and dug her heels in. Her horse followed Mars, mostly without Teres\u2019 help.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis Majesty insists we get back to Sadomere by nightfall. Sadovere? Sadere? I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mars was speaking to Ytol. The Death Commander nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadomere, Lady Mars. Is the city fortified for our defense?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt had damn well better be.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was all the [Vanguard] said. Her voice was terse. Teres found herself looking at Mars.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe gave Jecrass a beating. I think it was that General\u2014Lael? We beat her in the field. Shame I couldn\u2019t get her. Those damn [Trick Riders]\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spurring their horses across the field, leaping over enemy [Soldiers]. Cut down, a few\u2014but weaving, throwing ropes. Trying to drag Mars the Illusionist off her feet. She was strong\u2014she yanked back and pulled one rider and their horse into the dust. But the rest were throwing nets, ropes, even creating illusions.<\/em><\/p>\n Stalling her advance, until Ytol ordered Mars to attack the enemy infantry rather than wasting time with the cavalry. Teres saw the King of Destruction ordering another charge. She plunged into the chaos, following him as the Rust\u00e4ngmarder warded the King of Destruction.<\/em><\/p>\n Teresa Atwood saw a face as she rode through an unguarded flank. She swung her sword down and felt another woman die\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014might be in trouble. Depends on how well Sadomere is fortified. Flos hasn\u2019t ordered for reinforcements, but even defending\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Mars was speaking quietly to Ytol. Teres looked up. Ytol was nodding, glancing at the marching Rust\u00e4ngmarder. They were moving fast; their numbers hadn\u2019t been largely depleted. The army as a whole\u2026had. They had left over ten thousand dead behind. The enemy\u2014four times that number.<\/p>\n \u201cA bloody damn battle. Those Jecrass soldiers won\u2019t retreat even when I charge them. They must love their [King]. Damn, damn. I hate when His Majesty\u2019s right. \u2018An honorable man\u2019. Pah.\u201d<\/p>\n Mars spat. Teres looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are we retreating? We\u2026won, right?\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t remember. She didn\u2019t have a view of the battlefield. Teres had just charged and fought until she heard the calls to retreat or someone told her to rest. Mars looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cSort of, Teres. We tore the enemy apart. We might have stayed, run them down, and taken prisoners. But His Majesty got word from Orthenon and Gazi there\u2019s a second<\/em> army moving to reinforce. Sixty thousand strong. Fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re\u2026not going to stop them?\u201d<\/p>\n The forces of Reim were split. Orthenon and Gazi were circling, striking Jecrass with fast-moving cavalry and Shepard Zamea and her half-Giants, who could keep pace. At the same time, Flos commanded the largest of his armies, with Mars and the Rust\u00e4ngmarder protecting him, and Parasol Stroll.<\/p>\n They kept clashing with Jecrass, and Jecrass was usually the army that fell back or took the worst of the battle. Every time, actually. The King of Destruction\u2019s army was just filled with too many elites, and he and Mars and his best vassals were higher-level than their opponents.<\/p>\n But they could not advance. Jecrass\u2014and half of Belchan as well\u2014were stalemated. For every battle Reim won, they lost a dozen smaller battles. Because King Raelt of Jecrass had managed to duel the King of Destruction even in war.<\/p>\n Raiding parties<\/em>. Fast-moving Jecrass riders who attacked held settlements, overran garrisons, or threatened supply lines. Jecrass was famed for the speed of its riders, and it had proven that here. Flos\u2019 armies couldn\u2019t advance too far, or they\u2019d be cut off, surrounded, destroyed.<\/p>\n By the same token, however, Jecrass couldn\u2019t defeat the King of Destruction or his vassals in a pitched battle. Reim\u2019s armies were nearly as numerous as Jecrass\u2019 by now, and every engagement they won left far more dead on Jecrass\u2019 side than Reim\u2019s.<\/p>\n But Jecrass had reinforcements. Mars was cursing.<\/p>\n \u201cThose were Silver-rank adventurers supporting from the sides. And Orthenon reported hacking up a team of Gold-ranks. So Medain\u2019s supporting Jecrass. And Stitch-Soldiers from Nerrhavia\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The other nations were backing Jecrass. Not officially; few had declared open war, like A\u2019ctelios Salash. But they were sending gold, soldiers, and even artifacts to Raelt to help him push back Reim, weaken the nation.<\/p>\n So far\u2014it was about even. Teres knew the dead numbers hurt Reim in the long term, but she and the [Soldiers] were also leveling. In time\u2014the battle might wear Reim down too far. But survival<\/em> mattered most.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an army of sixty thousand joining the ones we just smashed. Some of those sands-cursed half-Elf elites from the Claiven Earth too. Insanely good [Archers]. They could tear us apart, and if the [Trick Riders] shield them\u2014I can\u2019t kill them. I hope this city\u2019s good enough to help us repel a siege. Because if Raelt pulls all his forces\u2014he could overwhelm us.\u201d<\/p>\n Mars was looking ahead. Teres saw a distant city lying flat against the horizon on Jecrass\u2019 border. Not one of the hill-cities with natural walls or heights to help fortify it. Even she knew that was a bad sign.<\/p>\n \u201cHis Majesty assured me reinforcements were not needed. We stand at Sadomere, Lady Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n That was all Mars said. She rode ahead, and Teres saw they were catching up. A [King] rode close to the head of his vanguard. Flos of Reimarch was sitting thoughtfully.<\/p>\n He too had dried blood on his armor. His beard. Yet, he was calm. War was second-nature to him.<\/p>\n \u201cTeres. Are you well?\u201d<\/p>\n Flos of Reim turned his head and looked at her. Teres nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWorn out. Your Majesty. Sadomere doesn\u2019t look<\/em> defensible. And our army is worn out. They may level, but we\u2019ll be outnumbered by those fresh reinforcements. And they have half-Elf archers. <\/em>At least a thousand of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Mars emphasized the words. Flos grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cMarksmen. Teres, you\u2019ll keep back if we have to sortie. They can shoot through a gap in a visor. Any of them over a hundred years old who train for it, anyways. Half-Elves who practice war are nightmares on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we can hold Sadomere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. I believe so. I have a plan, Mars. Trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n The Illusionist smiled. She tossed her head, and her perfect face and body\u2014splashed by red\u2014was radiant in the setting sun. A heroine out of a tale.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sire. Although\u2014Orthenon wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s not here. Let\u2019s get the army inside the walls. Teres, come. You\u2019ll rest. I have no doubt the city will be besieged within the next\u2026four hours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n Teres wearily slumped on her saddle. The two veterans spoke, talking of numbers and strategy. She looked up only once.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this all to make Chandrar better? I thought Raelt was an honorable man.\u201d<\/p>\n She saw the King of Destruction turn his head. He looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cKing Raelt is an honorable man. A brave one, too. He clashed with Orthenon personally in battle this morning. And I bear him no ill will personally. As a [King]? Yes. But he is a good man.\u201d<\/p>\n The [King] paused.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he sheltered that Prime Minister. He is backed by my enemies. This is Chandrar, Teresa Atwood. We shed blood like water over squabbles. Like the Drakes. Like Baleros. Like any nation. If you want peace, Chandrar must be united. And to do that, I have killed many good men.\u201d<\/p>\n His eyes flashed in the twilight. Teres looked at him. Another man\u2019s morality. A [King]\u2019s logic. At the moment\u2014Teres didn\u2019t want to hear it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Trey?\u201d<\/p>\n That was all she asked. Nawalishifra had gone south, towards Reim. She was no fighter. But Gazi had arrived on the battlefield a few days ago, after returning from her mission from A\u2019ctelios. The half-Gazer\u2019s eye was still closed, but Flos had been happy nonetheless.<\/p>\n It was Trey whom Teres longed to see, though. Her other half. Even apart, they were brother and sister. Twins. She wanted to see him.<\/p>\n But he had never arrived. Flos Reimarch\u2019s brow darkened. He looked at Teresa and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid Trey will not be meeting us at Sadomere, Teres. I had thought he was simply delayed, moving slower than Gazi. Or the Quarass had need of him. But it seems\u2026I have sent Venith after him. I have need of him. Gazi may soon need to quit the battlefield as well. Just as well; her eye is closed, and it is her plan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? What?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman looked uncomprehendingly at Flos. So did Mars. As Sadomere\u2019s gates opened and the King of Destruction\u2019s army entered the city they had taken three days ago, Teres looked at the simple, short walls. The standard battlements. And she wondered if they could hold this place.<\/p>\n The [Warrior] in her asked that. But the sister looked at Flos.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s my brother? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Destruction sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid he\u2019s decided to disobey my orders. He left Reim, but didn\u2019t go north. He left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor where?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Mars looked at the King of Destruction. And she chorused with Flos.<\/p>\n \u201cKhelt.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Earlier that day.<\/em><\/p>\n Trey Atwood rode across the barren border around Khelt. Dead lands. This, of all of Khelt\u2019s wonders, was undeveloped. Lack of tending and water had turned the ground fallow. Barren. Devoid of life.<\/p>\n But the undead lived beneath the soil. Armies and armies of Khelt\u2019s people, ready to fight and be destroyed again and again.<\/p>\n They could and had overrun powerful nations before. Trey had read books in Flos\u2019 library\u2014Khelt was not long-lived compared to some kingdoms, like the Shield Kingdoms of Chandrar. But it was still ancient.<\/p>\n And it had killed vast armies seeking to plunder it. An army of half a million had marched on Khelt, filled with powerful magicians, Djinn, and great warriors.<\/p>\n They had been overwhelmed by the seas of undead that had risen. The \u2018brave\u2019 invaders had slaughtered a thousand undead minions for every one of their soldiers who fell at first. But what was that to an army that was uncountable?<\/p>\n That was the power of Khelt. And while their armies were far weaker away from the capital where they had died\u2014Khelt was unsurpassable wherever its ruler reigned.<\/p>\n But Trey did not fear the undead beneath the hooves of his horse as he rode. Nor did he listen to the escort he\u2019d left at the border. They shouted after him. One of them\u2014a [Captain]\u2014even rode after Trey, bellowing.<\/p>\n \u201cLord Atwood! <\/em>His Majesty did not send Lord Crusland word that you should stop in Khelt! We have orders to bring you north at all speed!\u201d<\/p>\n He had a movement Skill. Which was how Trey had reached Khelt so quickly. But the man hadn\u2019t been prepared for Trey to ride across the border. And even now\u2014he turned his horse, eying the ground.<\/p>\n It was moving. Undead warriors were rising around him, lashing out. The [Captain] rode back.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLord Atwood! King Reimarch expects you in Sadomere this evening\u2014or tomorrow at the latest!\u201d<\/p>\n Trey ignored him. He had no desire to ride for\u2026twelve hours straight, drinking stamina potions even with a speed Skill. Or to listen to Flos. He called back to the [Captain], who was racing back to the border.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may tell His Majesty I am staying at Khelt. I am staying with King Fetohep as long as he will allow me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis Majesty demands\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Trey looked at the [Captain] as Kheltian undead rose, forming a barricade. Protecting Trey.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to come after me, go ahead and try.\u201d<\/p>\n And the brave, living warriors of Reim hesitated. They looked at the undead rising out of the earth, and Trey, riding on. They turned back.<\/p>\n For no one demanded anything of the ruler of Khelt lightly. Not even the King of Destruction. The undead monarch, the [King] of Khelt, had known the instant Trey crossed onto his lands. And he gave Trey passage as Trey had hoped.<\/p>\n The young man clutched his horse\u2019s reins, soothing the animal as it rode. It was nervous, but it had been here before. And he looked ahead. Hoping to see a\u2026a friend. As much as Nawalishifra. Trey couldn\u2019t march to war as Gazi had.<\/p>\n The young man clutched something as he rode. He halted in the dirt and sand as Khelt began to turn to green, fed by the vast supplies of water. Slowly, he dismounted from the horse and sat on the ground.<\/p>\n Ahead of him were villages. Cities tended to by the undead. Fields maintained by undead wielding hoes and shovels. A paradise built of the undead\u2014sustained by them in a perfection that allowed hedonism and art to flourish in equal measure.<\/p>\n But Trey sat on the ground. And bowed his head.<\/p>\n He looked at something. In time, an escort rode towards him.<\/p>\n \u201cLord Atwood? We are to escort you to His Eternal Majesty, Fetohep of Khelt.\u201d<\/p>\n A mortal man called down to Trey. He was leading a carriage. Kheltian. And the escort was living\u2014some of Khelt\u2019s few peacekeepers, high-level [Soldiers]. They respectfully bowed. And Trey looked up as his horse pooped next to him. He had been engrossed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you\u2026well? Lord Atwood? His Majesty expresses his concern. A [Healer] and other aids will be prepared if you are injured.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Lord Commander] of Khelt bowed slightly in his saddle. None less had been sent to Trey. But the young man just shook his head. He climbed into the carriage.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m\u2026fine. Sorry for worrying you.\u201d<\/p>\n And he was. As the carriage rode on, Trey sat there. Well of body. Although his throat sometimes felt\u2014cut. But that was phantom pain. He was just looking at something.<\/p>\n A grimy backpack. Trey had washed it as best he could, but it was still filthy. And the backpack was open. The [Lord Commander] had not known what Trey held. But that was because it wasn\u2019t of this world.<\/p>\n It was\u2026<\/p>\n A camera.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n King Fetohep of Khelt was in a grand mood. As the carriage bearing Trey Atwood into the city rode forth, undead soldiers lined the walkway. His people observed the carriage. Not because he had insisted upon it; he seldom made his subjects do anything<\/em> they did not want to.<\/p>\n No, simply because their ruler cared. And thus\u2014status was awarded to Trey Atwood. For Fetohep of Khelt had few passions in death. And his people\u2014some of whom loved only food, sex, and carnal pleasures, and some of whom took to art or other passions\u2014followed their ruler.<\/p>\n This was Khelt.<\/em> Paradise of Chandrar! And the capital city was ten thousand and one marvels of art. The people were content, never wanting for anything. Those that strived created wonders, became great visionaries, thinkers, writers, poets, artists\u2014<\/p>\n And those who cared for nothing more lived and died in excess, eating as much as they cared, loving as they wished. Living. Dying.<\/p>\n Unable to reproduce unless that honor was awarded to them. Unable to leave except by forfeiting Khelt\u2019s protections. Subject to laws some in Trey\u2019s world would have called \u2018unjust\u2019. Violating \u2018natural laws and rights\u2019.<\/p>\n Fetohep would have laughed at those that questioned him. And had them executed. For his paradise was not made of any will but his own and that of Khelt\u2019s previous rulers. It was not\u2026a democracy. Those failed.<\/p>\n But Khelt lived in death. And the ruler, undead, a Revenant, had lived for six hundred years maintaining Khelt\u2019s peace. He had been content, even if Khelt sometimes bent knee to those such as the King of Destruction. Passionless, even, a [King] who was slave first to his people.<\/p>\n Yet this boy had Fetohep\u2019s favor. Trey Atwood was carried to the steps in front of the palace. Surrounded by a living bodyguard, flanked by the undead. People watched as the doors of the carriage were opened and Fetohep, the [King] immortal, waited for his guest.<\/p>\n No one left the carriage. After a minute, the [Lord Commander] hurried around to the side and spoke urgently. And then a young man appeared.<\/p>\n He was\u2026normal. Not tall or handsome or elegantly poised, a genetic perfection such as some of Khelt\u2019s citizens. Trey Atwood stumbled a bit as he came up the stairs. And Fetohep looked upon his face.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Trey Atwood. Welcome once again to my kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n The ruler swept one emaciated hand out, grandly indicating the crowds, the welcome fit for another ruler. Trey looked at him and bowed slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou honor me, Your Majesty. But I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m prevailing on your goodwill, King Fetohep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed?\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep didn\u2019t look put out by this. Trey nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m actually here without the King of Destruction\u2019s permission, King Fetohep. He may want to\u2026retrieve me. May I beg your hospitality until that happens?\u201d<\/p>\n If it were possible, the magical flames in Fetohep\u2019s eye sockets brightened further<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Of course.<\/em> That insolent boy-king has no authority in Khelt. By all means, stay as long as you would wish.\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was triumphant, but Trey did not smile. He just clutched the ratty backpack to him as Fetohep gestured.<\/p>\n \u201cYour arrival was\u2014intriguing. Are you well? I have the foods you most enjoyed upon your last visit prepared. Sit, and we shall discuss the matters of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n He swept ahead. Trey followed, and the servants picked for the day followed, bowing, offering to take Trey\u2019s burdens. He refused them all.<\/p>\n The grand banquet room where Fetohep and Trey had first eaten with the Quarass of Germina was not the place where they adjourned to. Rather, it was a more intimate dining room.<\/p>\n As it had been the last few times. Fetohep had entertained Trey four times since their initial meeting, and he had taken to the rather plush private dining quarters where Trey could sit in a comfy chair as Fetohep\u2014in a throne-like chair that had been ported to this carpeted room filled with soft lights, delicate water running across an indoor fountain, <\/em>and even a sofa, hand-stitched and tailored after Trey\u2019s descriptions\u2014relaxed and bade Trey make himself comfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cTrey Atwood. It has been long since you last came to Khelt. The King of Destruction uses you often. As is befitting of talent. But that you have come here of your will, I shall not begrudge. Nor shall the King of Destruction remove you save for your will or mine.\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Khelt could be said to be\u2026besotted with his young guest. So much so that his servants stared enviously at Trey for all the praise heaped upon his head.<\/p>\n Fetohep had, once, infamously witnessed a menagerie made of every single known animal and monster in all of Chandrar upon his sporadic exoduses from Khelt by a famed [Beast Master]. And he had pronounced it \u2018adequate\u2019.<\/p>\n Trey, though\u2026a woman who might have been a [Beauty] in any kingdom but Khelt was serving the young man his choice of drinks stared admiringly at him. And the young man listlessly took a bit of orange juice and sipped at it.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep noticed Trey\u2019s mood at last. He paused and waved a hand. Servants swept forwards, with fresh-made food prepared by expert [Chefs].<\/p>\n \u201cYou appear\u2026unwell, Trey Atwood. Are you truly well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018mfine. Thank you, Your Majesty. Fetohep. I\u2019ve just had\u2026a bad few days. I\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Trey never finished the sentence. Fetohep shifted; not in outrage over the use of his name\u2014the [King] preferred the informality\u2014but rather, curiosity.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is wrong, Trey Atwood?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI went to A\u2019ctelios Salash. With the Quarass. And Gazi.\u201d<\/p>\n The young man whispered. Fetohep paused in accepting a magical drink that wafted green fumes he was taking care not<\/em> to let Trey inhale. He gazed upon Trey.<\/p>\n \u201cA\u2019ctelios Salash? That\u2026city?\u201d<\/p>\n Trey nodded. He looked up. He had the camera in his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Flos\u2014the King of Destruction\u2014asked me to go. Because the Quarass was going. To\u2026I can\u2019t say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo heal the half-Gazer. A\u2019ctelios\u2019 [Fleshshapers] are famed. Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep was no fool. Trey hesitated. But then he ducked his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI was forbidden to talk of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRest assured. The mortal squabbles of nations are of no interest to me. It is a confidence I hold.\u201d<\/p>\n The undead ruler flicked one hand, and Trey\u2019s state made more sense to Fetohep. The [King] tried to remember what he had known so easily as a man. Kindness.<\/em> His voice softened.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026The Carven City is not an easy place to visit. Even after death, I was struck by it in my visits. It is\u2026how was your visit, Trey Atwood?\u201d<\/p>\n The young man from earth looked up. And his eyes were haunted as [Soldiers] returning from war sometimes were. Those who had seen things that would stay with them forever. Fetohep froze, holding the green, misty drink in his goblet.<\/p>\n For that was not the young man he had bade farewell to a week ago. Mortals changed too quickly. And Trey? He just smiled, as if he too were dead. And he had been buried in the ground.<\/p>\n Alive.<\/p>\n \u201cI visited Tombhome. With Gazi. With the Quarass. We went to a peace conference. They tried to feed me the meat. I had my throat cut and nearly died. I was attacked by a Pakeil<\/em>. And it turned out to be someone from my world. Someone who had been tricked. I tried to kill a man. I tried to. And I killed others. Gazi got her eye back. And the city looked at me.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He spoke with a rictus of an expression on his face, his voice trembling, torn by it all. Fetohep stared, his goblet held to his open mouth in shock. The attendants shivered and whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cAttendants. Leave us.\u201d<\/p>\n The [King] spoke at last, after a silence where Trey only shuddered. The King of Khelt looked at Trey. Then\u2014he picked up his throne with ease, despite his emaciated arms, scooted it closer to where Trey sat.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me what happened, Trey Atwood. From the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n And Trey did. The words spilled out of him, unending. The long carpet ride, Gazi and the Quarass at odds\u2014the city, terrifying, intriguing, and then horrifying all by turns. The friendly, duplicitous people, Trey\u2019s guide, Athal, the meeting\u2014<\/p>\n Gazi being healed. The Quarass slashing Trey\u2019s throat open to teach him.<\/em> And then the Pakeil.<\/em> The realization. Confronting Baosar. Trying to kill him\u2014<\/p>\n Fleeing the city. A\u2019ctelios, the dead city\u2019s eyes turning towards them as they flew away on the carpet.<\/p>\n An adventure. A nightmare. When it was done, Fetohep looked at Trey.<\/p>\n An undead ruler. A monster. A Revenant possessed only by his will as a mortal man. Ruling his kingdom as an eternal tyrant, monarch.<\/p>\n And yet\u2014a friend. Because when Trey was done, shivering, Fetohep looked at him. He hesitated\u2014and then put a hand on Trey\u2019s shoulder. And his eyes flared with fury for his young, mortal friend.<\/p>\n \u201cUnacceptable.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n That was all Fetohep of Khelt said. He stood and paced the floor angrily, reaching for a blade he no longer wore. Trey looked up as Fetohep turned to him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have been given the greatest of offences, Trey Atwood. And A\u2019ctelios Salash? Rot<\/em> infests Tombhome! They were not this craven, this duplicitous, this small<\/em> a generation ago. This Baosar deserved only death. And the King of Destruction\u2014more fool he, for risking you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey turn people into monsters. Don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep hesitated. He inclined his head stiffly.<\/p>\n \u201cPakeil. <\/em>Their\u2026beasts of burden are no less than the members of their city. Warped by the flesh of their home. Visitors become Pakeil<\/em> more than most. But\u2014the flesh of A\u2019ctelios is not<\/em> offered lightly. It is a choice.<\/em> It has always been a choice. Not a trick. A\u2019ctelios has seldom become so\u2026consumed by madness as what you described.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it exists. People let<\/em> it exist. Why? How could anyone\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Trey rocked back and forth, shivering. He had had nightmares. He hadn\u2019t slept<\/em> properly since visiting the Carven City. He woke up screaming. Until Gazi had grabbed him and shaken him awake, or the Quarass. And then\u2014just with servants rushing to his door in Reim.<\/p>\n Fetohep beheld all of this on Trey\u2019s face, and his voice softened.<\/p>\n \u201cThe\u2014Shield Kingdom of A\u2019ctelios Salash was not always so, Trey Atwood. A hundred years ago, when you visited, they would have told you all of A\u2019ctelios\u2019 dark gifts. At the very door. Offered you lodging, and food. Only if you wished it.\u201d<\/p>\n The young man from England shuddered. Fetohep went on.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may be\u2014difficult to envision. But A\u2019ctelios\u2019 people are\u2014were\u2014honorable. Tombhome was a place people came to by choice. To trade. And the gift of A\u2019ctelios was a choice. A gamble. Pakeil<\/em> should be respected. The [Fleshshapers] should mend all physical maladies. That is what A\u2019ctelios was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not what I saw.\u201d<\/p>\n Trey looked at Fetohep, and the undead [King] did not gainsay his words. He looked around. Clapped his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cServants! Provide the\u2014frozen drink with sugar and cream. Also, a tea. Food for my guest.\u201d<\/p>\n The servants flooded back into the room. Trey found himself beset with a milkshake, tea, creature comforts\u2014as Fetohep insisted he eat and relax. In his classic way, the undead [King] spared no pretense at hospitality.<\/p>\n Soon, Trey was lying on his back, being fed grapes and sips of his tea by someone while a [Masseur] attended to him from above. Fetohep reclined, drinking his magical brew as he spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have been ill-treated, Trey Atwood. And I will not soon forget A\u2019ctelios\u2019 offense. Nor the Quarass\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n His voice darkened. The undead ruler drummed one hand on the armrest of his throne.<\/p>\n \u201cShe too I bear a grudge against. For her actions against you. I am old even as immortals, few as there are, reckon it, Trey Atwood. But the Quarass I fear is so old she forgets herself. She takes the most\u2026optimal actions towards power and considers the cost only in lives, not pain. I am sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Trey. The young man clutched at his throat as the servants murmured. There was still the faintest of scars. Fetohep hesitated. He looked at one of his attendants and then at Trey. Trying to remember himself.<\/p>\n \u201cDid it\u2014hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. It was just so fast. And I was\u2014dying. She gave me a Skill. But I don\u2019t want it. Not to ever be like that again.\u201d<\/p>\n Trey whispered. Fetohep\u2019s burning gaze dimmed.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sorry, once again. If there is any consolation\u2014the Quarass gave you a Skill most [Blood Mages] or [Artificers] would beg for. The power of lifesand is not inconsequential. Will you\u2026show me one of your designs?\u201d<\/p>\n It was a kindly offer, but Trey just shuddered.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Your Majesty. I can\u2019t. Not anymore. They\u2014they want my blood.\u201d<\/p>\n His creations. <\/em>Fetohep lowered his head.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Quarass is young. And old. I shall send an expression of my displeasure to Germina. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n One of his eyes glinted, and his servants shuddered. From across Khelt\u2019s northern border\u2026two thousand undead soldiers rose and began to march.<\/p>\n Trey had no notion of it. He was remembering the last. And he shuddered worst of all.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was a dream. But I\u2019m sure the eye moved<\/em>. Your Majesty. Did you\u2014do you think A\u2019ctelios could be wa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The word caught in his tongue. He tried it again.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it still al\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Another pause. The [King] made a slashing motion with one hand, stopping Trey\u2019s words.<\/p>\n \u201cTrey Atwood. Some things we do not speak of. Lest they be heard by ears to which space has no barrier.\u201d<\/p>\n Trey looked at Fetohep. And he beheld fear. And that terrified Trey. Just for a moment, Fetohep rose. He looked towards the open windows that let visitors gaze upon his city.<\/p>\n \u201cIf what you refer to is so, and I believe the Quarass is also investigating\u2026measures would be taken. I will contact her. After my first complaint is received. The Shield Kingdoms will investigate. Quickly. Decisively, even if A\u2019ctelios is hostile.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat could you do?\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep looked at Trey. And his fingers drummed quickly\u2014then stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cPut it back to sleep. If the\u2026vision <\/em>moves\u2014there are ways. It has happened thrice.\u201d<\/p>\n Trey\u2019s heart began to beat faster. The masseur looked very afraid as she concentrated on her task. The teacup wobbled as someone offered it to Trey. He drank as much to pretend the world was normal as to quench his thirst.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He hesitated. Fetohep was raising a cautionary hand. Trey gulped and chose his words.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething happened thrice? More than\u2014vision?\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, the [King] looked around. And he nodded once.<\/p>\n \u201cA matter of trust, Trey Atwood. This is not to be repeated. Attendants\u2014you will not listen.\u201d<\/p>\n They all covered their ears. Trey saw Fetohep lean over. The [King] whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cThrice before. Vision is the start. Once\u2014the first time\u2014the solution was not found. Next came tremors all Chandrar felt. Movement. <\/em>But it was stopped. It must be stopped. I promise you. It will be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Trey stared at Fetohep. The [King] sat back and slashed with his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cAttendants. Serve. Trey Atwood, enough. Khelt will aid Germina in investigating with all<\/em> haste. But we speak no more of\u2026unpleasant matters. Is that clear?\u201d<\/p>\n The young man nodded. Fetohep relaxed. The attendants, shaken, looked at their [King]. And as he sought for conversation, his eyes brightened.<\/p>\n \u201cDo not worry, Trey Atwood. You have been mistreated, but that has ceased since you are now in my domain. I know you have been occupied. But tell me\u2026have you heard aught of the world\u2019s news since you have returned?\u201d<\/p>\n Trey looked up. His terror over what was being hinted at\u2014began to fade. Fetohep\u2019s gaze was forcing the very conclusion out of his head. As, perhaps, the [King] willed it. Trey would remember later. But for now, he and the people of Khelt relaxed. For Fetohep was almighty in his domain. His very presence was safety. Comfort.<\/p>\n Only the [King] bore fear and worry for the future. That his subjects and friends would not have to.<\/p>\n Trey was feeling a bit better\u2014and how not, when the massage was undoing tension he didn\u2019t even know he had? The Skill was literally soothing him\u2014as Fetohep surely knew\u2014and he could distract himself enough to respond.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Your Majesty. I came back and I was\u2014withdrawn. Has something happened? I know about the war in Jecrass\u2014His Majesty, Flos, ordered me to go north. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep waved an impatient hand.<\/p>\n \u201cNot that. I\u2026or rather, my treasures were recently uncovered. The Diamond Swords of Serept were found by a group of students. Adventurers. There was\u2026a battle at sea. Among the major sea powers. You\u2014you didn\u2019t hear of it? I had\u2026some role in the events.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked keenly at Trey. And the [King] grew keenly disappointed when Trey shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Your Majesty. How were you involved? Were you at sea?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs an apparition. The Diamond Swords forged by Serept were cursed by an enchantment. Among other things, it allows the ruler of Khelt to manifest themselves\u2014it is of no consequence. It was\u2014a minor affair. Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n The [King] paused. Eying Trey. And the young man resolved to find out what a \u2018minor affair\u2019 for Fetohep looked like. After a moment, Trey thought to inquire.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat of the Diamond Swords? Forgive me, Your Majesty. I don\u2019t know anything about them. Would you be so gracious as to enlighten me? If it\u2019s not too much of a burden, that is?\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep\u2019s magical flames in his eye sockets brightened.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose I could enlighten you. Attendants!<\/em> Fetch the magical recording of the events. You see, the six swords are treasures forged by Serept of Khelt, Trey Atwood. Each one possesses an unparalleled magical enchantment. And I granted half to the treasure seekers\u2026ah, but the pictures should illuminate the events\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n For the next\u2026two hours, Trey found himself watching an aerial blow-by-blow of the events surrounding Wil and the others at sea, with Fetohep\u2019s associated commentary.<\/p>\n \u201cI would have given the Pact of Termius to the Gnoll, and perhaps The Unfilled Cup of Cexila to the Minotaur had I<\/em> had the choice. That would be the\u2026blue blade and red blades respectively.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, Your Majesty?\u201d<\/p>\n Trey stared at Wil as the young man duplicated himself and charged the enemy. Fetohep waved a lazy hand, freezing the recording.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pact of Termius is a blade that calls upon the powers of nature and animals, befitting a Gnoll [Shaman]. And the Cup of Cexila is a blade which drinks the blood of those it slays, healing the wielder. Blood and flesh, really. But The Windblade of Serpisel is fitting too. I understand that the three remaining blades will return to me in time\u2014although the carriers have been forced to take shelter at Zeres. A tiring development, but I had allowed them time to return the blades to me. Especially in light of their companion\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He trailed off. Trey looked at Fetohep. But he wasn\u2019t caught up yet. And this little\u2026event with Fetohep actually had helped Trey. Distracted him.<\/p>\n But\u2014not forever. As Trey rose, the massage done, he felt better. Fetohep glanced at Trey.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, you found the massage to your liking? Perhaps now we may retire to the\u2026sauna. Or are you in need of other refreshments?\u201d<\/p>\n The sauna was a popular way to \u2018bathe\u2019 in Chandrarian cultures. Hot stones and steam, rather than costly water. Trey ducked his head.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Your Majesty. But I\u2019m\u2026fine. I truly am. I\u2019m just sorry for prevailing on you. I should have gone north. To my sister. She\u2019s\u2014fighting in the war. Against Jecrass. I had no idea it was happening until we got back. Well, the Quarass wasn\u2019t happy.\u201d<\/p>\n He bowed. Fetohep looked disconsolate.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, yes. The war. It was displeasing to me to hear the events as they unfolded. Let us discuss that<\/em>, then. Cancel the sauna.\u201d<\/p>\n He spoke to a servant, who bowed and hurried off. Trey sat in his chair, and Fetohep relaxed. This was all for Trey\u2019s benefit; the humidity just made Fetohep\u2019s preserved flesh rot faster. But he took visceral pleasure from watching his guests fulfilled.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you\u2026know the events that led to the war unfolding, Trey Atwood?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSort of, Your Majesty. But please, I\u2019m sure you have a more, uh, complete view of what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep nodded. He was, in some ways, easy to placate via flattery and acknowledgement of his status and vision. But perhaps\u2014that was because he liked Trey. If he had a flaw, it was his kindness. Even in death.<\/p>\n That was one of the requirements to become a ruler of Khelt, though. Fetohep had told Trey that he had been chosen among others because he loved his people more than he was the best warrior.<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed, I witnessed the events, Trey Atwood. It began with the foolishness of the Prime Minister of Belchan. But also\u2014the cowardice of mortals. A single village\u2019s misplaced prejudice. The death of Gnolls.\u201d<\/p>\n He told Trey the events simply and with less commentary than his exploits at sea. Trey listened. His heart broke for the Gnoll tribe, attacked for no crime other than being Gnolls and seeking the King of Destruction\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n He heard how the King of Destruction had challenged Raelt of Jecrass. And in so doing\u2014the King of Duels had earned his name.<\/p>\n A tale of wrath, of sorrow. Of terrible deeds. Like Trey\u2019s own. Fetohep finished simply.<\/p>\n \u201cThe King of Destruction would have slaughtered the Prime Minister. And his officials. The politicians, the Watch Captains, the rulers of each city and village responsible for the carnage. He put hundreds to death for his justice. What say you to that<\/em>, Trey Atwood?\u201d<\/p>\n The undead ruler\u2019s voice was disapproving. Yet Trey Atwood looked at him, and his hand clenched on the bag that still sat at his feet, smelling of rotten flesh and a city of horrors.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do I say? I say\u2014good.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep glanced at Trey, surprised by the response.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Good? The slaughter of so many would be good?\u201d<\/p>\n Trey bowed his head.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Some people deserve to die. Some monsters shouldn\u2019t live for what they\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n He clutched the pack to his chest and closed his eyes. Fetohep\u2019s eyes flared, with that undead ruler\u2019s perfect morality. But he looked at the young man who grieved and held his own tongue.<\/p>\n In the silence of Fetohep\u2019s glorious kingdom, and his rich rooms full of artwork and treasure, the King of Khelt saw Trey shaking. The young man, the [Sand Mage], held the bag.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know. I couldn\u2019t stop anything. They were\u2014they tried to warn me.<\/em> I couldn\u2019t even help them. They\u2019re still alive.<\/em> They knew it was me.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked up. His eyes were overflowing. Fetohep beheld dark rage. Fury. A young man\u2019s grief. And he looked around, unsettled. Unsure of what to do.<\/p>\n Fetohep of Khelt, in his glory and riches\u2026looked at his young friend. Shaking. And he gestured.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps\u2026the comforts of the flesh? You have witnessed a tragedy, young Trey. I was similarly unsettled when first I visited A\u2019ctelios. I think. When I fought Crelers for the first time, certainly. You are young. You there. Summon a dozen of Khelt\u2019s finest and willing. Drinks. Even such pleasures as dreamleaf\u2014no, the Vault of Wishes. Procure it and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Trey didn\u2019t listen. He was fumbling with the bag, drawing out the camera. Fetohep, meaning well, summoned Khelt\u2019s most beautiful women\u2014and a few handsome men and boys\u2014trinkets of unsurpassed value. Drugs of every sort.<\/p>\n And it wouldn\u2019t help. It didn\u2019t help. A bevy of people willing to give Trey a night out of his wildest imagination\u2014solo or in a group\u2014stopped at the doorway. A magical vault containing one\u2019s wildest imaginations halted on a pillow of silk. A hundred substances of various effects halted on their way towards the room, all legal in Khelt.<\/p>\n Because the young man wanted none of it. He showed Fetohep something, and the ruler slowly dismissed his thousands of expensive, worthless treasures. Because this was Trey\u2019s grief.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is this, Trey Atwood?\u201d<\/p>\n It was\u2026a camera. Trey had found it in the bag that had belonged to the Pakeil.<\/em> The person. And he had fixed it. With magic.<\/p>\n [Repair] was such a useful spell. And Trey had\u2026recharged the camera. Given it new life after it had run out of power.<\/p>\n It was a good camera. The kind you\u2019d take a semi-professional video on. To upload it to YouTube. It was, of course, capable of pictures. And video.<\/p>\n He wished he\u2019d never found it. For\u2026it had memories.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A young man standing in the sand. Surveying the landscape. He cursed\u2014in an unfamiliar language.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The view included a group of eighteen. Staring about, shouting, trying to call on their phones.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n That was what he asked, but in another language. Portuguese? That was the first video. The next few were similar.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A view from atop a dune. Surveying a vast, vast landscape of sand to the north. To the south? More habitable lands. A shout\u2014someone screaming as loudly as he could behind the speaker. A voice\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHey! You\u2014you with the camera! Come down here!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Accented English. Russian? The next videos gave clarity. To Trey, they were as sensible as his appearance in Chandrar.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n People milling about. Talking<\/em>. At last, there was sense. The wielder of the camera turned it back to his face. Trey saw a worried, smiling face. Other people.<\/em><\/p>\n A young man from Russia. A pair of Taiwanese visitors. Someone who said they had been with their parents\u2014crying. Being consoled by an older Chinese woman\u2014and she was barely twenty-six. Still, oldest of the lot.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe are somehow <\/em>here, now. We don\u2019t know how we got here. We were in an airport\u2014this is going to be a record of what\u2019s happened. Just\u2014just in case.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The young man had good English. And he began taking videos of each of the eighteen people.<\/p>\n Eighteen lives. Each one, who turned to the camera and told the viewer, Trey, and Fetohep their names. Repeating where they had been from.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cTravelling back home.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoing to visit Hong Kong with my\u2014my parents. Are they okay? Do you think\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome kind of plane crash. We\u2019re all hallucinating. That\u2019s what\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWater? We\u2019re going to need\u2014I\u2019m\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Young people, as young as Trey, older\u2014but not by much. But a girl who was barely fifteen, who\u2019d been standing with her parents<\/em> when she\u2019d vanished.<\/p>\n There was no logic to it. The Russian man had been holding his girlfriend\u2019s hand. But she\u2014despite being his age\u2014hadn\u2019t come along. And they were far from home.<\/p>\n Lost in Chandrar.<\/p>\n Videos. At some point after taking each person\u2019s introduction, the Portuguese cameraman had realized he was going to run out of power. So he\u2019d begun rationing it.<\/p>\n The next video was of someone yelling. One of them\u2014the Russian\u2014had leveled up. As an [Explorer] in the night. Someone else? [Survivor]. A third\u2014[Traveller].<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am\u2014I\u2019m a Level 3 [Cameraman], yeah? It was green. No one else said it was green. But I\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The young man looked into the camera. Grinning, as people discussed what it meant. They all had Skills. One of them tried it out. Pointed.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c[Survivor\u2019s Intuition]! There\u2019s something that way!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n A short cut. And then\u2014the others clustered around a small cactus plant. One of them\u2014a fellow from Cameroon\u2014had a knife. He was scraping at the plant, removing the bristles to get to the flesh. They were all talking.<\/p>\n It hurt to watch. Stop. Stop it.<\/em> Trey kept playing the videos. He\u2019d seen them too many times.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The next time the camera came on, the people were shouting at a caravan. The viewpoint captured a flying figure. A Garuda spotting them. The others shouted or stared. Some looked wary, but the caravan was kindly. Humans rode towards them on camels, shouting. In English\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAre you hurt? What was it? [Bandits]?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you from?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Bewildered answers. Confusion\u2014and already, as some of them eyed the swords and wands\u2014cautiousness. The travellers from Earth lied, and the caravan, after some swift bartering for a colorful scarf, a water bottle, and a few trinkets\u2014took them in.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The battery had begun running low. Trey saw only three more videos. He clicked on the next one.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have\u2014I have a Skill. Green. [Extended Battery]. I think it will save me some battery. I <\/em>think. But this is another\u2026world, yeah? A game. That\u2019s what one of us said. We are getting close to a city, now. For food. Shelter. We\u2019re going to\u2026stop there\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The young man looked worried. But optimistic. He smiled. He was always smiling.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re headed towards it. It is a nice place. Apparently? I will show you more. The battery is running low. I can\u2019t recharge\u2014so this is Davi, signing off.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Darkness. Two left. Trey\u2019s finger shook.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA\u2019ctelios Salash. Welcome, welcome to the Carven City! All are welcome here! Food, drink\u2014all free!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n A laughing face. A demon wearing a Human\u2019s skin. Davi eagerly filmed\u2026Athal. Welcoming them inside. He began taking images of the interior of A\u2019ctelios, after the outside.<\/em><\/p>\n Some of the Earthers saw what the city was. Some\u2014refused to enter. The Russian man walked off, after arguing bitterly with his group. He pointed at the eyes that had become entrances and shouted that it was madness.<\/em><\/p>\n Some followed. A girl. A young man from Canada named R\u00e9mi. But fifteen entered. The young man from Portugal, Davi, was unsettled. He filmed the inside. The cavernous room, the smiling people.<\/em><\/p>\n The strange cries of a baby. The meat they were given, succulent, free of charge by Athal, who grinned as Davi and the others scarfed the food after a long time on the road.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep was touching Trey\u2019s arm. The young man didn\u2019t know it, but he was crying. His finger shook. But the last video\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSomething. Wrong.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n A voice. Cracked. In pain. Davi\u2019s face appeared in the frame. In darkness.<\/em><\/p>\n In the background, someone was crying out. Rhythmically. In pain. Davi was clutching at his stomach.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe meat\u2014it was\u2014a trap.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He whispered to the camera. Someone was moving in the corner. Davi looked up. He saw the man from Cameroon. With a knife, stained red. He reached down, his body jerking. He was already\u2026transforming. Davi shook his head as the knife lowered\u2014the man staggered away.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat did we do wrong?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n That was all Davi said. He tried to say something else, but the broadcast continued. As he jerked\u2014the others fell silent, given a last mercy or\u2026too far gone.<\/em><\/p>\n They changed, and a young man picked his way across the ground, ignoring the <\/em>Pakeil as they screamed. Athal picked up the camera, investigated it eagerly.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLook! An artifact! They had an artifact! Tell my father\u2014we can sell this\u2014how does it work? Why is that thing flashing red? One? 1%? What\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n That was the last. Trey saw the screen go dark.<\/p>\n There were a few\u2026pictures. Of Athal. Of a few people, blinking stupidly into the camera. He must have used it. But the camera had run out of power. And Athal must have thought it was just junk. So he\u2019d put it in the bag. And the Pakeil<\/em>\u2014Davi\u2014had remained.<\/p>\n Until he\u2019d attacked Trey. And then\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s still there. In A\u2019ctelios. He\u2019s probably alive, even after he was\u2014nothing dies there. He\u2019s alive. And he\u2019s\u2014him.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Trey wept onto the camera as it turned off. Fetohep sat next to him. Staring at the dark screen.<\/p>\n He had witnessed it all. The [King] was silent. And Trey?<\/p>\n He had tried to kill Baosar. He had failed, but Gazi had done the job. Trey wished, now, he\u2019d killed Athal. That he\u2019d had the power to burn A\u2019ctelios Salash to ash.<\/p>\n But they\u2019d run, and Davi was still alive. Part of Trey wished he\u2019d never known the young man\u2019s name. Because it was his face Trey saw in his nightmares. Eating down the meat and remarking how good it was. Thanking the inhabitants of Tombhome for their generosity.<\/p>\n \u201cI will never forgive them. I won\u2019t. Someday. I\u2019ll come back. And I\u2019ll bury Tombhome again. I will kill them all.\u201d<\/p>\n That was his vow. Trey looked up at Fetohep. And the undead ruler looked at him with sympathy.<\/p>\n \u201cTrey Atwood. This evidence of wrongdoing by A\u2019ctelios\u2019 inhabitants I cannot forgive. Nor will I ever forget it. The Carven City will be held to my justice. Khelt is not weak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt has to be erased.\u201d<\/p>\n The young man reached out. He grasped at Fetohep\u2019s robes, speaking pleadingly. And Fetohep\u2014hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are things worse than A\u2019ctelios\u2019 depravity, Trey Atwood. I do not ask that you understand. But I rule Khelt. And I have seen Crelers and worse. A\u2019ctelios is madness. But it is a weapon to be borne against all foes. It is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMadness? Madness is a weapon? What enemy do you use it against?\u201d<\/p>\n Trey looked at Fetohep, and the undead ruler\u2019s fiery eyes dimmed. But he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cDragons. And far worse. When they are needed, A\u2019ctelios\u2019 mad legions will fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you won\u2019t destroy them.\u201d<\/p>\n That was all he cared about. Trey met Fetohep\u2019s gaze. The [King] shook his head with true regret.<\/p>\n \u201cA ruler cannot always be moral, Trey Atwood. Nor do I know if A\u2019ctelios can<\/em> be destroyed with all of Khelt\u2019s power. Buried, perhaps. But the Tombhome was slain by the original inhabitants of A\u2019ctelios. And they were heroes. <\/em>They felled a nightmare. That excuses none of this generation\u2019s offense. But it is a reason\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He trailed off. Trey looked at him and turned away.<\/p>\n \u201cTrey Atwood. I would do much in my power for you. But I am still a [King].\u201c<\/p>\n The voice was quiet. Trey shuddered.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Your Majesty. Thank you. But\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He brushed at his eyes. And felt as if he\u2019d wept all his tears. Slowly, Trey Atwood rose. And he looked around. At Fetohep, resting in his seat, unchanging. At Khelt, this perfect place.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to go. Don\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n Fetohep of Khelt paused. His undead gaze flickered.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Not if you do not wish to. I have told you: Khelt welcomes you, Trey Atwood. Stay as you wish. My subjects will offer you every comfort. My treasuries will satisfy your wildest imaginations. Ask what you will. And it will be granted to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Like\u2026a friend. A grandfather. A kindly ruler, offering Trey anything he wanted. And the young man was so tempted.<\/p>\n A night with the most beautiful woman. Food and drink unlimited. Magical treasures. Safety, comfort, riches.<\/em><\/p>\n It was all here. Here,<\/em> waiting for him. Fetohep would give it to Trey, and not even Flos would be able to take Trey away.<\/p>\n That was the truth. But the young man turned. He looked Fetohep in his undead face. And he did not flinch. That was part of why Fetohep loved him. Trey inhaled, once.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty. Do any of the King of Destruction\u2019s vassals seek me?\u201d<\/p>\n The undead [King] hesitated. But then he nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cLord Venith Crusland has brought five thousand of Reim\u2019s [Soldiers]. He is attempting to cross the border. None of his party have sustained more than superficial injuries. Yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Loyalty. Trey closed his eyes. Venith would<\/em> try Khelt, even if it meant fighting all of the undead.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to go, Your Majesty. I have\u2026a mission. I can\u2019t speak of it, truly. His Majesty has orders for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMust you go? You owe that boy nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n The ruler of Khelt almost reached for Trey. And the young man stepped away. He smiled at Fetohep, and he bowed deeply. Gratefully. But he still left. Trey walked towards the door, and as Fetohep rose, he spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty. You are too kind to me. You have given me every comfort in this world, and I am eternally grateful. And you are wise. Wiser than I. But\u2014that is why I must go. Because I am mortal. And flawed. And I see A\u2019ctelios\u2019 horrors. And I cannot forgive.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed. Fetohep looked at the camera, sitting on the little table. Trey had left it behind, with the backpack.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see why A\u2019ctelios is needed. The lives of a few can be sacrificed for the good of all. And that is\u2014a [King]\u2019s wisdom. But I serve the King of Destruction. And he would go to war for a single child. He will give me vengeance if I ask. Thank you. And\u2014goodbye. I fear it might be some time before we meet again. If we do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrey\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Trey bowed again. He turned and left. And then he was gone. Riding north. To his fate. To serve the King of Destruction.<\/p>\n Fetohep felt him go. He sat still, unmoving, until Trey had left his lands. And that took hours.<\/em> Only then did the [King] rise. And he walked listlessly out of his room.<\/p>\n His treasures awaited him. His people. But the [King] was suddenly alone. And he stood awhile, on a balcony overlooking his magnificent city.<\/p>\n Pondering what he had lost.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Now.<\/em><\/p>\n The army of Jecrass was marching on Sadomere. A battered thirty\u2014no, closer to forty thousand plus reinforcements. A hundred thousand to pit against half that number.<\/p>\n Numbers. But even so\u2014Teres was aware of how vulnerable they were. The city of Sadomere was not<\/em> Reim. It wasn\u2019t built as strongly, had no secret weapons.<\/p>\n And only one of the King\u2019s Seven was here to defend it. Mars was also, arguably, the worst person to defend a city. She could hold a hallway until the entire structure came down around her. But a wall where there was only one of her?<\/p>\n No. And the walls were exposed. The [Builders] had made the city well, but not with an eye for sieges. Proper siege architecture was usually ugly.<\/p>\n It had also been a strategic move. Denying an enemy a useful foothold on the border between both nations meant that it was disadvantageous to actually rely on the city. Like in\u2026moments like these.<\/p>\n \u201cMilord. We\u2019re surrounded.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm. Hm. Hold on, I have a message from Venith. I think it\u2019s good news.\u201d<\/p>\n Flos Reimarch was checking a [Message] on the magical scroll he carried. He smiled as Teres, Ytol, and Mars inspected the army.<\/p>\n They were surrounding the city, and they had no siege weapons as Teres understood them. No ballistae, or trebuchets, let alone cannons or the high-tech weapons from her world.<\/p>\n They had<\/em> a few primitive catapults that could hurl stones a decent distance. But that was all. Jecrass\u2019 forces didn\u2019t really need conventional siege weapons.<\/p>\n They had [Mages]. Ulyse, Mirin, and Esiela of Parasol Stroll approached Flos.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty. The enemy has a number of high-level [Mages]. Grand Mage Esiela counts a number of Claiven Earth\u2019s high-level [Mages]. Not the highest-level. Thirty plus\u2014but they could punch a hole through the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n Ulyse, the leader, reported. Esiela, the former Grand Mage of Belchan, ducked her head, hiding her face as Flos turned towards them. The King of Destruction\u2019s gaze paused on her for a second.<\/p>\n \u201cI see. Can you fend them off, Ulyse?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Mage] hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cI suspect they will attack from multiple sides, Your Majesty. To prevent our own from being sniped, we will have to concentrate on one wall. We will do our best, but only a single [Geomancer] need collapse an unenchanted wall to create a breach.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. Well then, I will take it into account. Deploy to the northern wall, Ulyse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a measure of the [Mage]\u2019s trust that he only bowed without asking\u2026questions. But there was nowhere to run.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Trey has left Khelt! Of his own will. Venith is escorting him to Germina. And Gazi will ride south to meet them. Good, good. We may be able to arrange a meeting, Teres, but the plan is still going ahead. I had feared\u2026Trey would seek Fetohep\u2019s mercy. And I would have been unable to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Destruction laughed in genuine relief and good humor. Teres looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n The [King] glanced at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014it may be hard to arrange. Or did you mean this battle? Orthenon\u2019s taught you well, Teres. What do you think our odds are?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Shit?\u201d<\/p>\n Teres heard another laugh, but Mars wasn\u2019t really laughing. The enemy had them outnumbered. And worse\u2014Jecrass\u2019 elite cavalry had taken to the field. And yes, they were terrible at sieging a city until the gates fell, and you could still create walls of pikes to stop them coming in\u2014<\/p>\n But going out? Sortieing meant you\u2019d be charged, and you\u2019d never outrun them. If Flos was confident in defending, Teres wouldn\u2019t have worried.<\/p>\n But the Claiven Earth had sent their troops to support Jecrass. Oh\u2014\u2018mercenaries\u2019. And the half-Elves were good [Archers].<\/p>\n They were even able to hit Sadomere\u2019s defenders from a thousand paces away. The longbow [Archers] would trade out, use a Skill, and launch arrows that hit the defenders hiding behind the battlements. Only Maresar or similarly skilled [Archers] would have been able to counter them.<\/p>\n And the [Mages]\u2014Teres knew that Parasol Stroll was good, but she didn\u2019t have much hope. Even if Flos\u2019 army repelled Jecrass\u2019, it would be a brutal siege. And Jecrass could just pull in more troops if they were losing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right, Teres. It\u2019s not good. These walls were never built to counter enemies like this. Let alone the fact that we\u2019ll be dealing with breaches. Once they enter the city, Jecrass\u2019 cavalry will have an open battleground. Not nice alleyways.\u201d<\/p>\n Flos glanced over his shoulder at the city. Teres nodded. Damn wide streets and efficient municipal planning. But the King of Destruction was smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cMilord. They\u2019re advancing.\u201d<\/p>\n And here they came. <\/em>Flos Reimarch\u2019s head snapped up as the [Archers] advanced within bow range. Infantry moved forwards, screening and hiding the vulnerable [Mages].<\/p>\n \u201cMars. I\u2019m relying on you. Use your ranged weapons. Force those [Mages] back. For\u2026ten minutes. Ulyse has the north wall\u2014take the east. The west is the Rust\u00e4ngmarder\u2014only idiots would concentrate on them. Teres! You and I will stand on the south walls. Perhaps that will dissuade them. Grab a shield. And watch for those high-level shots. Nuisances.\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Destruction strode forwards. He raised his shield casually as Teres kept a distance behind him. Every now and then, Flos would swat<\/em> an arrow meant for him out of the air, even if it curved or tried to vanish.<\/p>\n Jecrass\u2019 army was advancing. Their [Archers] threw up hails of deadly arrows as Flos\u2019 tired army tried to return fire. It was technically in Flos\u2019 favor; even with elites, his army had range and protection. Only the numbers favored the attackers.<\/p>\n And the fact that they would<\/em> cause a breach and allow their army to make it a more even fight. The King of Destruction reached the southern wall. There he stood, waving at the enemy army. Teres swore she could see General Lael hesitating as she saw the King of Destruction facing her.<\/p>\n \u201cFlos. What\u2019s your plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait. We have to let them get closer, Teres. You know I have a plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not a complete dunce.\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Destruction grinned toothily at Teres.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Teres. In truth\u2014a Drake or Minotaurian army would be worse. They have siege weapons along with [Mages]. But this is fine. And I do have a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe [Army of the King]?\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled at her and angled his shield to block an arrow. Flos winced as it detonated and swore as both his and Teres\u2019 ears rang from the fireball.<\/p>\n \u201cDamned explosive arrows! <\/em>Not yet. That must be used for a battle where it cripples my enemies. Or else it is wasted for a month. No\u2014watch.\u201d<\/p>\n The enemy army was charging the city. Teres saw Ulyse and the other [Mages] exchanging fire with the northern wall\u2019s attackers. But soon\u2014far too soon\u2014there was an explosion.<\/em><\/p>\n From the southern wall. Flos swore and grabbed at Teres as the wall began to collapse near them. A [Geomancer] had caved it in. And the army, realizing the King of Destruction had few [Mages] there\u2014was charging at the gap.<\/p>\n \u201cPikes! Get below and prepare for a charge!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n But then the wall rippled.<\/em> And Teres saw another section cave in on the eastern side. She looked at Flos.<\/p>\n \u201c[Mages]. One cannot fight without them. And my armies are light on [Mages]. Don\u2019t fear, Teres.\u201d<\/p>\n He heaved a sigh. The King of Destruction looked out as more parts of the wall began to collapse. There were fewer defenders on it than Teres realized. Perhaps anticipating he\u2019d lose the walls, the King of Destruction had pulled his forces back. But they were getting ready to clash with fresh Jecrassian troops and the other army\u2019s elites soon.<\/p>\n \u201cFlos. What is<\/em> the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Destruction stood on the crumbling walls of his city as Jecrass\u2019 army began to charge. He spoke casually to Teres.<\/p>\n \u201cJust this, Teres. You had no way of knowing. Nor Raelt, or my enemies. But they might have considered it if they remembered that I am just a man.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Teres. And she, holding his hand, saw him let go. Teres stumbled. Flos Reimarch turned to the walls.<\/p>\n \u201cKing Raelt of Jecrass is a worthy foe. He leveled up after challenging me and winning.<\/em> In his way. That battle turned him into a force to be reckoned with. But no one in this world wins singlehandedly. General Lael!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He bellowed. The distant [General] saw Flos raise his arms. The King of Destruction laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations on your [King]\u2019s new levels! And yours as well, no doubt! And might I add one more thing?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed at her, and the [King] smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI leveled up too.\u201d<\/p>\n The man raised one fist. Teres saw him point.<\/p>\n \u201cFor you, my glorious [Architect]. This\u2014Skill is for you. [The King\u2019s Architect]!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n He bellowed the Skill. And Teres saw\u2014the King of Destruction disappear.<\/p>\n For a moment, time slowed across the city of Sadomere. Which was\u2014when you got down to it, a shitty name for a city, wasn\u2019t it? And what terrible architecture!<\/p>\n \u201cSadomere. What is that, a name of a horse? Maybe a horse designed these walls.\u201d<\/p>\n Teres heard a man\u2019s voice. And she saw an old, grumpy man walking across the walls. In between the galloping horses\u2019 hooves hitting the ground, he strode, looking around the broken rubble. And beside him strode a man.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes. The name is bad. I\u2019ll rename it something appropriate. Drevish\u2019s Posthumous Masterpiece,<\/em> or some such. Can we fix it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you name the city that, I\u2019ll design a guillotine so you can kill yourself. Come on, we have work to do. [Riders], huh? And [Archers] and [Mages]. How do you get yourself into these messes?\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment, the old man\u2019s annoyed voice passed Teres. And she saw him glancing past her, through her. Seeing only the city. What it was and could be. And the [King] walked with him.<\/p>\n But he too was\u2014a memory. The real King of Destruction stood on the walls a heartbeat later, staring after him. Teres breathed.<\/p>\n \u201cDrevish?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Architect], a memory of him, turned. And Flos Reimarch raised a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDrevish! My [Architect]!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n His voice was pained, and he cried across the wall to the man in the distance. Reaching out at an illusion. Teres saw the white-haired figure bow. And the city changed around them.<\/p>\n Time snapped back to reality. Jecrass\u2019 charging [Riders] saw the gaps in the city. They charged through, screaming, upon the unprepared army of the King of Destruction. And saw\u2014too late\u2014the angled ramps poised in the gaps to break their charge. Stone itself had reshaped to create the barriers, wide enough to allow infantry to fight, but perfect to halt any number of horses.<\/p>\n The [Riders] tried to stop, but they crashed into the barricades as the infantry swarmed them. And the walls\u2014Teres turned.<\/p>\n \u201cArrows! Take cover!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Someone screamed, but the arrows that rained down on the walls from the elite [Archers] all missed. The young woman lowered her shield. And she saw\u2014along the walls, now with rebuilt defenses that provided total cover from above and the sides for archers, more like tunnels with crenellations than battlements\u2014another addition.<\/p>\n Statues. They were huge, imposing, rising along the walls, practically drawing the eye. They drew more than that. Arrows curved<\/em> through the air to smack the statues in the face rather than the defenders. Magical interception. Flos\u2019 [Archers] rained down on the other army.<\/p>\n The King of Destruction blinked at the statues taunting their foes. He leaned over the battlements for a view.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that\u2014are they all wearing Orthenon\u2019s<\/em> face?\u201d<\/p>\n Teres stared, and her jaw dropped. They were, indeed, larger-than-life versions of Orthenon, scowl perfectly captured. The [Stewards] stood amid the rain of spells and arrows, bits of the magical stone being blasted away. And the skill had done more than that.<\/p>\n \u201cGeneral Lael! The city\u2019s changed! We\u2019re receiving fire from\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n One of the Jecrassian [Soldiers] shouted at the [General] commanding the siege. She stared up at some impossibly high towers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the name of unicorns is that?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Flos turned. A number of insanely high watchtowers had been constructed. As tall as skyscrapers. And the [Archers] on top\u2014after getting over their acrophobia\u2014were raining down arrows on the enemy with unparalleled range.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are Drevish\u2019s experimental Skytowers! He swore they\u2019d be the best thing for [Marksmen]! Orthenon and I told him they\u2019d be knocked over in an instant!\u201d<\/p>\n The King of Destruction and Teres looked around. The city was transformed. Gone were the wide streets; they were now narrow, with choke points. The gates had been reinforced and given a second layer of portcullises just to stymie attackers.<\/p>\n And all with the stone available. As if the [Architect] had simply moved stone and masonry around, enchanted a few objects. Flos looked about his city. Teres stared at the Skytowers, jutting out from the sides of the city, inordinately high and casting shadows, the tight houses, the weird horse-traps. She was the one who said it.<\/p>\n \u201cThis place is a nightmare<\/em> of a city to live in!\u201d<\/p>\n Flos Reimarch began to laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is!<\/em> But it\u2019s the perfect thing to beat an army, isn\u2019t it? Especially this<\/em> army?\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, the [Mages] were sending tremors into the ground and finding the city\u2019s foundations were beyond solid. The two gaps in the wall were turning into kill zones. And\u2014the King of Destruction looked about. His laughter ceased. And he looked at Teres.<\/p>\n \u201cDrevish. One of my Seven. Immortalized in my Skill. It is beyond fitting. The other two\u2014I would like to see them again, Teres.\u201d<\/p>\n He quieted. And as the horns began to blow a retreat, the King of Destruction stood on his battlements. Remembering a man Teres had never met. And as she looked at the crazy architecture, all the experimental designs, like the slanted bowl<\/em> the enemy army would have to run down and up to get to the inner city, the statues of Orthenon\u2014and the ones with the stupid faces the [Steward] would have never made\u2014she wished she\u2019d met him too.<\/p>\n The war continued. King Raelt\u2019s armies fell back, as Sadomere, rechristened Drevish\u2019s Madness, became a linchpin of the King of Destruction\u2019s defensive line. But the King of Challenges refused to retreat. And his nation refused to surrender to the King of Destruction. Either way it seemed like Flos Reimarch won.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The largest port-city of Pheislant was known as Phel\u2019s Light. After a [King] who had created\u2026<\/p>\n A lighthouse. Or rather, a citadel whose tallest, central structure was a lighthouse. The magical beam illuminated the sea. Guiding ships to shore and helping them navigate the dark cliffs and treacherous shoals at night.<\/p>\n Phel\u2019s Light was, like Zeres, Lailight Scintillation, First Landing, and the other port capitals of the world, a very important place. For it was where goods flowed through. And having good relations with Pheislant was thus important.<\/p>\n Terandria had a few big ports. Among them\u2014the Lord of the Dance\u2019s city. Lord Belchaus was famous for keeping his waters free of marauders. Even in wartime.<\/p>\n But his port wasn\u2019t the best for, ah\u2026illicit cargos. Or [Slaves]. Or a lot of things. If you were at odds with Lord Bel, or his nation, it was wise to steer clear of his waters.<\/p>\n And Pheislant\u2019s harbors were frankly better. On the southwestern edge of Terandria, they permitted easier access to Baleros, Chandrar, and Izril. Lord Bel\u2019s harbors were further to the east. Why stop there if you could go to Phel\u2019s Light?<\/p>\n All that meant simply that\u2026Phel\u2019s Light had all kinds of business for anyone who was anyone in Terandria. And as evening fell across Pheislant, a particular group was awaiting a very special ship.<\/p>\n Knight-Commander Calirn of the Order of Seasons stood on the docks. Keeping a vigil. He had personally come from the Order of Seasons\u2019 headquarters\u2014which was not very far as they were headquartered in Pheislant, technically on their own lands, but allied with the Terandrian kingdom\u2014to attend this somber gathering.<\/p>\n He was not alone. Some members of the Order of Spring were there, and a few keepers from the Order of Fall, to record the moment. No other Knights of Winter; but theirs was a small and solitary season. They would pass the vigil alone, mourn alone.<\/p>\n The most populous group was the Order of Summer. The Knights of Summer stood on the deck, nearly forty of them. They had all requested it. They were waiting.<\/p>\n Not just the Order of Seasons either. Six<\/em> other Knighthood Orders were waiting on the docks. The Order of Ram, the Thronebearers\u2014from Kaliv and Calanfer respectively\u2014had greeted Calirn when he arrived on the docks. They were small orders. Not nearly as vast as the Order of Seasons, which was one of the largest in Terandria, part of Pheislant\u2019s might.<\/p>\n The other orders were smaller too\u2014but for one. The Order of the Thirsting Veil. They stood opposite the Order of Seasons, and Calirn had not greeted them. Not out of any personal enmity but because they were Ailendamus\u2019 [Knights]. And relations were\u2014strained between the vast kingdom of Ailendamus who was threatening war and Pheislant, one of their enemies.<\/p>\n Normally, Calirn would have warned the hotheads of his order\u2014the [Summer Knights] and young, impetuous [Spring Knights] not to start a conflict. But there was no fear of that today.<\/p>\n The [Knights] waited in silence. They were all here waiting for the same ship. A special ship that only [Knights] used, really.<\/p>\n A funeral barge. It was shared among [Knights]. And it collected their remains at every port. Sometimes bodies; usually ashes. Calirn awaited ashes. They were easy to transport, and a Courier could be hired to take them. As in this case.<\/p>\n If circumstances required it, [Knights] were buried where they fell. Their armor and belongings might be recycled in times of war, gifted to those in need. But generally, Knight-Orders attempted to bring back their remains for honorable burial and for their loved ones. People needed the closure. Sometimes, it was an honor, or just the practice of the order\u2014like how the Thronebearers insisted on it.<\/p>\n In this case, it was both. The man who had died had perished in a quest to avenge his love. And he had asked\u2014she had asked Calirn\u2014that they be buried together. Even though the man had failed, Calirn would honor their request.<\/p>\n In ash, he sailed across the waters. A fallen [Knight]. An extinguished flame. Ser Raim of the Season of Summer had tried to burn away the Spider of Terandria, the [Witch]. Belavierr.<\/em><\/p>\n He had failed.<\/em><\/p>\n There was nothing more to it. He had come so close, but his mortal body had betrayed him before his radiant soul. Calirn bowed his head.<\/p>\n Raim was the highest-leveled [Knight] who had died here, by far. He could sense the other Orders looking at him, wondering who had died. Some probably knew. Raim had been powerful. A [Knight] of his level could change the course of battles. Defeat the greatest of monsters.<\/p>\n Once upon a time, Ser Raim\u2019s death would have attracted far more notice. He had been\u2014over two decades ago, now\u2014a rising star in the Order of Seasons. Almost every fully-fledged [Knight] was over Level 20; it was a rare [Squire] or [Page] or individual who achieved the class before that. It was why it was regarded as an advanced class, above [Warriors] or [Soldiers] or the like.<\/p>\n Yet, by the same token, not every [Knight] would pass Level 30. Few passed Level 40; Ser Raim had been one such man